Researchers at the MIT Sloan and Kellogg Schools of Management studied 151 law firms and found that diversity communications that emphasize "value in difference" correlate with lower attrition rates for women while those that emphasize "value in equality" correlate with lower attrition rates for minorities. It's not known if combining the messages is effective or ineffective.

One likely reason is that women are often moderately represented in companies while minorities are often very underrepresented, creating different experiences of the work environment, and suggesting that any group significantly underrepresented would be more positively impacted by the "value in equality" message.